Bat Hysteria
by Demonwolf
Summary: A series of destructive incidents is taking place and all evidence points to Rin. James knows his half-sister is innocent, but as the half-demon's behavior grows increasingly strange, James and his family find themselves involved in a dangerous mystery.
1. Chapter 1

**Ch. 1: The Start of it All**

_Inspiration for this fic came from one of my favorite episodes of Inuyasha: "Jinenji, Kind, Yet Sad." I highly recommend the episode to anyone who has ever felt ostracized._

The summer sun was rising, promising a new beautiful day for New York City. Dew was sparkling on the grass of Central Park, a soft breeze made the fresh green leaves rustle and a general feeling of peace enveloped the large island of Manhattan. On a day like today, nothing could go wrong.

Outside the Peach Seed House, Rin was perched on one of the higher branches of a tree. Slumped against the trunk and with her wings folded around her, the slumbering half-demon appeared as serene as the approaching summer day. From inside the house, Mrs. Ladybug could see Rin as she set the table for breakfast. Smiling and shaking her head, the kind-hearted insect pulled an eighth plate out of the cabinet for the family's most elusive member.

"Though I'll doubt she'll eat with us," she murmured. The young half-demon didn't sleep in the bed the family had purchased for her when she came to visit.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Rin had said when she had discovered the furniture in what had been set aside as "her" room. "I don't like to lie down when I sleep; feels too vulnerable."

"Well, maybe I could tempt her inside today." Upstairs, Mrs. Ladybug could hear the rest of the family stirring. She had the day off today and with James and his friends on summer vacation, there was little doubt that the little boy would be out playing in the park all day. As such, Rin would probably want to be nearby as well.

"Hmm, this might be good for Rin. If she's intent on spending time with James, she'll have to interact more with the rest of us and with other people." Mrs. Ladybug cast a hopeful eye in Rin's direction; with any luck, she could at least get Rin to sleep indoors for once this summer.  
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"Still can't believe ya eat seagulls, Rin."

"Hey, I can't help it if seagulls are my favorite food."

"_I _don't mind. There more seagulls Rin eats, the less there are trying to eat me!"

"When was the last time that happened?" Rin cocked her head at the sightless bug, a seagull bone halfway to her mouth.

"Well... not since the journey, but I know they're thinking of it."

"Trust me, seagulls aren't that smart."

"Did some one say tarts?"

Rin twitched her ears in Glowworm's direction as she went back to nibbling on the seagull bone. Having caught the hapless bird before the rest of the family sat for breakfast, the half-demon had decided to join the family at the table after plucking her meal of its feathers; as she usually forewent sleeping in her room, manners dictated that she at least share a meal or two with them.

"Is it hard to catch a seagull, Rin?" James asked her now.

"Not for me. I doubt there's a bird in the world that can out-fly me."

"I'd be interested in testing that hypothesis, Rin," Mr. Grasshopper said. "Since many flying machines are styled after birds' wings, it would be interesting to see if new designs could be created after watching you in flight."

"Yeah, they could make a bat plane and get people across the country in an hour," Centipede chuckled. "That'd be somethin', eh, Rin?"

"That _would_ be a sight, if a human could actually do it."

"Careful, girlie, some one just might."

"And when they do, demons will still beat them."

A sudden rap at the front door cut the conversation short. Mrs. ladybug wen to answer it and everyone heard her exclaim,

"Why, Chief Beatcom, what brings you here so early?" Mrs. Ladybug led the slightly frazzled-looking police chief into the dining room.

"Sorry to intrude," the chief said, casting a nervous glance in Rin's direction. The half-demon ignored him; while she didn't harbor any grudge toward the police chief as she once did, she still continued to think of him as a bumbling oaf and wasn't shy about sharing that opinion.

"Sir," he said, addressing Centipede. "There's been a huge accident down near the wharfs. I think you'd better see for yourself."


	2. First Suspicions

**Ch. 2: First Suspicions**

_For those wondering, yes, I upped the rating. After reading my outline of the story's climax, I realized that it might get a little intense for a K+ rating._

The wharf Chief Beatcom had referred to was located close to the Hudson River. At the time, there were several unused buildings that remained fenced off from the public. Most of these buildings were old storehouses for expired meat packing or fishing companies and were scheduled for either renovations or demolition; as such, construction equipment was a common sight and the crash of various tools mere background noise by now.

The "accident," as Chief Beactom had put it, concerned one of the smaller warehouses that had once been the possession of a processed meat industry. A huge hole had been torn through one of the walls, causing the remaining three to sag dangerously. The roof had caved in, spilling chunks of tile all over the surrounding ground and the stench of rotten meat hung thick in the air.

"Ya call this an accident?" Centipede asked the Chief now, surveying the scene with wide eyes. Already, people were gathering around the sturdy fence that separated them from the catastrophe and a construction crew was hard at work removing the worst of the debris from the ground.

"Right now there's no evidence to suggest otherwise," the Chief replied. "That right, Mr. Galloway?"

A well-built man, garbed in the uniform of a construction foreman, nodded.

"Buildin' was scheduled for demolition in two days. Not sure, but I think somma my guys already set the blasts in the building, which is why we've kept this place deserted. Never know when you can get ahead of schedule."

"So, you're sayin' one of the explosives might've gone off?" Beatcom asked.

"That didn't happen."

The three officials turned to stare at Rin, who had accompanied Centipede as her demonic power and speed would be of great use to any potential injured folk. Now, the half-demon pointed at the destroyed building.

"If the explosives went off, where's the smoke?"

"Well, like I said," Galloway replied, "we don't know for sure if that's what happened."

"Then shouldn't you be checking into it?" Rin asked, glaring at Chief Beatcom. "Pardon me for saying so, but you're taking the fact that a building was destroyed pretty casually."

"Hey, hold on one-"

"Rin's gotta point, Chief," Centipede interjected. "Until we know for sure this was an accident, I want you an' yer precinct ta make sure there ain't some one runnin' around who gets a kick outta collapsing buildings."

"Yes, sir," Beatcom replied. "Hopefully, though, this will be an isolated incident."

"Hmmm..." was Rin's only comment. With a snap of her wings, she flitted over to the gaping hole and began running her hands over the jagged edges.

"Think she's on ta somethin'?" Galloway asked.

"Hope so," Centipede said with a grin as he watched his adopted daughter inspecting the scene. "That girl can track people down from halfway around the world."

"Seriously?"

"Yep. She found us, dinnit, she?"

"Er, Mr. Mayor?" Centipede turned to see that two of Galloway's workers had stopped their labor and drifted over.

"Yeah?"

"Uh, not to be rude or anything," a thin-faced young man stammered, "but, uh, where was Rin last night?"

"Why?"

"Well, sir, it's just..."

"It's just weird that somethin' weird like this could happen without anyone knowin' about it," another worker butted in. "Almost demonic, I'd say."

"Ya think Rin did this?" Centipede asked, frowning.

"All I'm sayin' is that I dunno anyone else who could knock down a building like that. It weren't no explosion and buildings just don't fall over like that, so-"

"So I must have done it." The two men nearly jumped out off their skin at the sound of Rin's voice. The young half-demon's ears twitched twice, signifying that she had heard everything the men had said and her eyes were mere slits of anger. "Come, if you're going to accuse me, do so to my face." Rin's upper lip peeled back, displaying her fangs.

"Easy, Rin," Centipede said, glaring at the two men. "They were just leavin'. And I'm sure they'll be careful 'bout sayin' who's guilty unless they got proof."

"Especially since making a false accusation can lead to jail time," Chief Beatcom added.

"Just sayin'," the more mouthy man said, holding up both hands, but refusing to look at Rin. "Just sayin'." He and his buddy retreated back to their fellows, some of whom were watching intently.

"Listen, miss," Galloway said, turning to Rin. "Whatever they're sayin', they're-"

""They were being honest," Rin said, cutting him off. "Don't trouble yourself with explanations, Mr. Galloway. And don't worry, I didn't destroy your building."

"Oh, hey now, I know that!" Rin faced the foreman, tilting her head slightly.

"Did you now? Well, you'd be one of the few."

"Rin-"

"It's alright. This sort of thing doesn't even faze me anymore. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd rather not waste a summer day stuck on the ground." Rin ran a short distance, jumped, and was soon lost in the sky.

"Chief," Centipede said after a moment had passed, "I hope yer right 'bout this bein' a one-time thing."


	3. Just Talk

**Ch. 3: Just Talk**

_I should mention that I took a year and a half of basic Japanese in my first two years of college, so whenever Rin speaks Japanese, I promise to be very careful with just what she's saying. Here, for instance, Rin refers to James as "James-chan," which means she finds him endearing. Generally, "chan" isn't applied to boys, but Rin is using it as a term of affection toward her younger sibling._

By mid-morning, most of the city had heard the news of the disaster by the wharf and, thankfully, most seemed to share the opinion of the foreman: the destruction was an accident. Nothing else was reported, no evidence brought forward to suggest sabotage, no real reason to believe that something sinister had taken place.

"If someone had caused the building to fall, Rin would've found out," James confided in some of his friends.

"Yeah," agreed a brown-haired boy named Ricky. "Your sister can find anyone. Remember the last time she was here an' she heard the people trapped down in the subway? That was so cool!"

The small group of children all agreed with this fact, feeling like a council of old in their fort. In truth, the "fort" was really just a mass of intertwined branches that formed a sort of domed glade large enough for several small children, but in the eyes of James and his current group, it was their castle and they its knights.

"I wish the old playground was still around," a boy named Jerry said now.

"What playground?" James asked his friend. Jerry sat up a little straighter, pleased to have an audience.

"Just outside of the city is this old playground that my dad and I used to go to all the time. But last week, it got torn down so now Dad and I can't go there anymore."

"Why'd it get torn down?" James asked.

"Dad said people found a lotta snakes hiding under the slide and the seesaw and they had to call animal control. Maybe some were poison," Jerry added.

"Nah, there aren't any poison snakes around here," some one else piped up.

"There could be," Ricky piped up. "My big brother told me once that some people steal poison snakes and bring here to sell."

"That's stupid. Who'd want a poison snake?" one of the few girls in the group asked, wrinkling her nose in obvious disgust.

"_I_ would," Jerry announced. "And I'd bring it to school too!"

"Thank goodness you didn't get your hands on one then," a wry voice broke in.

"Hi, Rin!" James called, waving to his sister who stood just outside the branches.

"James-chan, the rest of you," Rin greeted with a small smile before turning her eyes to Jerry. "Now, what's all this about snake pits in a playground?"

"Oh, well, just that people found a bunch of snakes in a playground my dad used to take me to and it got torn down."

"Is that right? Well, I suppose there was good reason to worry then." Rin mused, drawing a claw on one of the branches.

"Maybe," Jerry admitted, his former bravado vanquished by the half-demon's presence.

"Hmm... better safe than sorry, but I wonder..."

"Wonder what, Rin?"

"Never mind," Rin said, sounding more down-to-earth. "I was just passing through before heading off to start my training regime. One must always stay sharp."

"Why?" Ricky asked. "Are we gonna get attacked?"

"Most likely not, but you never can tell. Either way, you kids don't have to worry."

"Because you'll take care of it, right, Rin?" James turned shining eyes to his sister, who smiled widely at him.

"Always, James-chan, always. Now we don't we abandon talk and move to action. I could be mistaken, but I believe I saw what looked like something hidden by that rock cluster over there. Why not go check it out?"

Immediately, the children scrambled out of the fort and raced for the rocks they so often enjoyed climbing on. Rin watched them go, grateful that she had brought some mementos from Hyoki Island when she'd first arrived.

'A few half-demon treasures will keep those kids amused for a bit.' Yes, and in the meantime, the young half-demon had places to be and things to do.

And by the time she came back, a second accident would have occurred.


	4. Second Strike

**Ch. 4: Second Strike**

_Another Japanese lesson for you! Rin shouts 'Kami-sama' in this chapter, which is the rough equalivilent of shouting 'My God!' She eliminates the polite 'desu' at the end of her sentenance because of the gravity of the situation. I should also add that Rin has a tendancy to curse when she gets mad, another reason why I had to up the rating._

The destruction of the down-town butcher shop had started, oddly enough, in the shop's dumpster. The green metal had been torn from the building's brick wall and twisted beyond all recognition, spilling scraps of rotten meat all over the ground and exposing the huge sewer pipe the dumpster had previously covered. A huge hole had been blown through the back wall and the interior was a total mess; the glass display cases had been shattered, the back freezer rendered useless, and deep scratches had been left on the walls.

"The hell happened here?" had been the first comment made by one of Chief Beatcom's officers and the Chief had to admit to himself that he was mentally screaming the same question. Just what was happening today?

"Chief!" Another officer, accompanied by a fireman, raced up, eager to report.

"No one's been hurt," the fireman quickly reassured the Chief. "The family who owns the shop is own vacation and there really wasn't anything left in there to rob."

"You call _this_ a robbery?"

"That's my guess," the officer replied. "Whoever did this must have realized that there wasn't anything to lift, so they just destroyed the place instead."

"Yeah, well, make sure the scene is properly secured. The sooner the forensic team can examine it, the sooner we can catch the perp. Or perps." Chief Beatcom cast another glance at the razed butcher shop. "I sure hope these people had insurance. Hopefully, they can-"

"_Kami-sama! _What happened here?"

Like an avenging angel, Rin dropped from the sky and surveyed the scene with wide eyes.

"Well, it looks like the accident on the wharf isn't the only one we have to deal with today."

"Then it's most likely that neither this nor the building on the wharf was an accident," Rin replied darkly. The young half-demon looked disheveled; her skin and hair were shiny with sweat and her clothing was streaked with grime. But it was Rin's eyes that caught Beatcom's attention; she looked worn out, as if she'd been running herself ragged that day, but what she had been up to, Beatcom could only guess.

"What happened to you?" he asked now.

"None of your damn business!" Rin snapped. "Stop staring at me and focus on doing your damn job!" Rin eyed the scene once more and then launched herself into the air, departing as quickly as she had arrived.

"What was that about?" a fireman asked, watching the half-demon vanish into the sky.

"Who knows?" some one-a police officer- answered. "Who knows about anything that goes on in _her _head?"

"Hmmm... hopefully, Rin'll be able to find out about something concerning both situations that we missed," Beatcom mused.

"Yeah, well, I still think it's weird that once Rin shows up, buildings start falling," the officer muttered.

"Johnson!" Chief Beatcom began, but Officer Johnson's partner cut him off.

"Look, Chief, you have to admit it _is _suspicious. Not that we want to start pointin' fingers or anything, but those scratches in there look more like claw-marks to me and I can think of only one... one person with claws in this city."

"Yeah, and only Rin would have the strength to tear up that dumpster. Good thing no one _was _around when this happened..." The officer shuddered. "Besides, you've said it yourself plenty of times, Chief. Rin has a real temper."

"But no motive," Beatcom replied sternly. "Why would Rin want to do something like this?"

"She needs a reason?" Johnson asked. "C'mon, Chief, she probably got mad at some one and took her anger out on some one else's livelihood."

"Enough! Johnson, unless we have proof- actual, concrete proof- I don't anyone making these kind of accusations! Everyone in this city is to be given the basic human right of innocent until proven guilty, understand?"

And although his underlings agreed, the Chief could read their minds like a book: why bother giving a human right to some one who was only half-human?  
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James carefully fitted the last wooden piece into the slot and smiled at his finished masterpiece. Among the treasures he and his friends had discovered was a strange sort of wooden puzzle in which the pieces of thin wood could be fitted into wooden slots at random, but James quickly discovered that only one combination would allow all the pieces to be interlocked. After heading home, James had passed a cozy early evening putting the puzzle together as the rest of his family came home.

Now, the front door opened and shut yet again. James looked up to see Rin enter the living room and though he was happy to see his sister, the half-demon's ragged appearance surprised him. Nonetheless, he greeted her cheerfully.

"Hi, Rin! I finished the puzzle!"

"Hmmm? Oh, I had a feeling you'd like that," Rin replied, giving her brother a weary smile. "I have one myself back on Hyokai Island and I find it quite relaxing."

"You look like you could relax right now," Mrs. Ladybug said as she entered the room, followed by Centipede.

"A bath and a rest would be nice right about now," Rin admitted. "But I doubt I'll sleep long. Too much to think about."

"Ya heard then?" Centipede asked.

"I heard. And I'm sure you heard of my little visit to the second scene."

"Beatcom mentioned it," Centipede answered.

"Figures."

"So, what's yer opinion on all this, Rin?"

"My opinion?"

"Yeah. No offense to the cops here, but if I had ta chose, I'd listen to you."

Rin didn't answer right away, but James saw a wry smile flit across his sister's face, as though she was flattered by Centipede's words.

"Don't get your hopes up. All I can say for sure is that these two incidents weren't accidents and if I had to guess, I'd say whoever did one did the other."

"Hey, every little bit helps."

"Speaking of which, a bath would help me right now, so I'll bid you all good evening. I have much to do tomorrow."

"Are you going to train again?" James asked.

"Most likely," Rin answered as she headed upstairs.

"What's she training for, dear," Mrs. Ladybug asked, looking curiously at James.

"I don't know. Rin just told my friends and I that she liked to stay sharp."

"Hmmm, I suppose that makes sense. And goodness knows Rin needs a way to spend all that energy, but I do wish she wouldn't push herself. She looks so worn out."

"Guess we're in good hands if somethin' happens here, eh, Jimmy?" Centipede asked, grinning at the boy.

"We are," James affirmed. But it wouldn't be long before other opinions about the half-demon began to surface.


	5. Accusation

**Ch. 5: Accusation**

_Well, this took awhile. I had to jump through hoops in order to get Rin to cooperate with me._

"I don't think she slept at all last night," Mrs. Ladybug confessed as she and Mr. Grasshopper stepped onto the porch. Though the sky was overcast, the day was warm and already the park was filling with people. Mr. Grasshopper watched fondly as James and several of his friends situated themselves inside their fort of branches.

_A vision of a young King Arthur and his knights, _that, he mused before turning his attention to the large oak tree planted close to the family's house. Rin was curled within its limbs, as usual, but had elected to perch in the higher branches where she would be concealed by the thick leaves.

"If she napped as late as she did, it would surprise me if she slept through the night," Mr. Grasshopper admitted. "And considering everything that happened yesterday, I doubt she'd want to be confined to the house."

"Still though, I don't like the idea of Rin running herself ragged, especially if she's set a strict training regiment for herself. Though what for, I don't know."

"Half-demons have a lot more power and energy than humans. It is likely that Rin just wants to keep herself in top shape. Or at least burn off any excess energy."

The tree's leaves suddenly rustled and Rin poked her head through the foliage. The half-demon's ears swiveled widely and her brow was furrowed in worry. Before anyone could blink, she had shot out of her tree and had landed on the ground.

"What is it, Rin?" Mr. Grasshopper asked as he and Mrs. Ladybug approached her.

"Trouble." Rin's ears stopped moving and she nodded. "Big trouble by the lake." Darting forward, the young half-demon launched herself skyward and was out of sight.

"Best call Centipede and Chief Beatcom," Mr. Grasshopper told Mrs. Ladybug. "I'll go after her and see what has happened."

"Be careful," Mrs. Ladybug told him. "Both of you," she added as the taller insect left.

"Mrs. Ladybug!" Mrs. Ladybug turned as James and his friends joined her at the base of Rin's tree.

"Don't you worry, dears," Mrs. Ladybug soothed, running a hand over her son's face as she spoke. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's nothing Rin can't handle. I just need to let the police know, that's all." _Please let it be all, _Mrs. Lady bug silently prayed as she smiled at the group of children. _Please let it be nothing at all._

"Easy, friend. I'm here to help." Rin knelt beside the unconscious man laying in the wreckage of hamburger and hotdog shack. The bat-like girl shuddered; the smell of freshly cooked meat was barely discernible from the stench from the nearby and freshly-exposed sewer. Shoving aside pieces of broken wood and torn metal, the young half-demon clenched her teeth in fury.

'_Damn! Damn! Damn! How could I-'_

"What's going on?"

"What happened?"

"What's she doing here?"

"SHUT UP!" Rin roared, baring her fangs at the crowd. It was amazing, she reflected, how people could vanish into thin air when trouble was afoot and could magically reappear as soon as there was an aftermath to see.

The screeching of sirens joined the voices of the crowd and Rin watched warily as a few police cars and an ambulance joined the fray.

'_Well, at least they show up when needed. Unlike the sheep here, who mill about and bleat whenever there's a disaster,' _she thought, still watching the crowd with disdain.

The groans of the man captured Rin's attention and she watched as he came around. Judging by the caked blood on the side of his head, he was lucky to be coming around so quickly, though Rin guessed a trip to the hospital was in his near future.

The man's eyes opened and locked onto Rin's face.

"It's alright," she soothed. "I'm here to-"

"Get away from me!" the man shrieked, scuttling backwards as best he could.

"Hold, friend, I mean you no-"

"You… you… monster. You did this!"

Rin, who had tried approaching the man again, halted as if struck. Hearing the accusation aloud was like a knife into a still-bleeding wound; a wound that hadn't healed since the death of her father and the end of his protection from human prejudice.

"I saw you!" the man insisted, pointing at Rin as the EMTs swarmed around him. "I saw your eyes! Those horrible red eyes." Rin frowned.

"A good try, sir, but perhaps you need your own eyes tested. Mine are gold, not red."

"Hah!" the man snorted. "As if everyone in this city didn't know your eyes turn red when your demon blood's up. You half-breeds are all the same, once you're in hunting mode!"

"As if I'd-"

"I know what I saw!" the man spat at her. "You destroyed my shack. You tried to kill me. I'll never forget those eyes! Those eyes…" The man's body shook and he began to gasp.

"Shock," one of the EMTs diagnosed and before Rin could say anything more, her accuser was bundled into the nearest ambulance.

"Rin." The young half-demon turned to see both Mr. Grasshopper and Chief Beatcom approaching. Nodding at her adopted kin, Rin eyed the police chief with suspicion.

"Well, then, Chief, going to arrest me now?"

"What? Rin, what're-"

"You heard him!" Rin thrust an arm at the crowd. "And you can damn sure everyone here is echoing his words."

"Rin," Mr. Grasshopper said, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "There is no way anyone with half a mind can take what that man says seriously. He has a serious head injury and his food shack was adorned with flashing lights. He could have seen anything. Is that not so, Chief Beatcom?"

"Yeah, that's right. Besides, now we have proof; your family can testify that you were home when this occurred, so-"

"Do you take me for a fool?" Rin snapped. "As anyone will believe that."

"Rin-"

"Mr. Grasshopper, you've read up on half-demons since I came around. You know what happens when trouble strikes and who gets the blame." The elder insect gazed at his adopted daughter sadly, but nodded in agreement.

"Yes, I know."

"Then you know that as far as this city is concerned, I am guilty." Rin wrapped her wings about her like a cape, as if to shield herself from the notion. "So, if you don't mind, I'd rather train like a demon than bow down to humans."

Unfurling her wings, Rin darted away from the crowd and took to the air. Like the previous day, she was soon lost to sight and, like the previous day, Chief Beatcom had a feeling that she'd be pushing herself past the limits of physical exhaustion.

"Surely there has to be something you can do to give her some protection," Mr Grasshopper asked him.

"The most I can do now is explain that the sole witness to today's… accident has a head injury, which makes his statement inadmissible. Beyond that…" Beatcom made a helpless gesture.

"In other words, you can do nothing?"

"Look, I believe Rin's innocent. You _know _she's innocent, but the fact is that people will always look for a scapegoat. Not a day goes by when I'm not swamped by calls blaming a purse-snatching on a local gang. But, innocent till proven guilty."

"So you say," Mr. Grasshopper muttered.

He only wished he believed it.

"_But that's what it [being guilty] does mean when you're different. Nobody trusts you. You're always the first to be blamed and it is always, ALWAYS your fault!'- Inuyasha_


	6. Two Decisions

**Ch. 6: Two Decisions**

_Those who read my other fics will probably have a good idea where Rin got her crystal._

Centipede raised a hand to tap on the door when Rin's voice drifted through the closed entryway.

"You may come in."

Pushing open the door, Centipede squinted in the dark room.

_Rin an' Angel Fangs got a lot in common,_ he thought wryly as his blue eyes adjusted to the dim interior. Aside from the unused bed, the only piece of furniture was a desk that held two candles, a clay pot of burning leaves that gave off a sweet smell, a piece of glossy metal with Japanese lettering carved into it and a half piece of crystal.

Centipede blinked, cocking his head at the crystal; the rock had been broken down the middle, but the half on the table had been expertly carved in the shape of a bat. Everything, from the small pointed ear to the outspread wing to the tiny fang spoke of an artist's touch and Centipede couldn't help wondering where Rin had gotten the little trinket.

"Well?" Centipede started; Rin, who had been in the far corner of the room, was barely discernible from the shadows. The half-demon approached the middle of the room and the candlelight caught her eyes, making them appear to glow."

Where'd ya get that?" Centipede asked, gesturing at the crystal. Rin glanced down at the little figure.

"The only friend I ever knew as a child made that for me."

"A friend of yer's?"

"As I said, the only friend I ever had in my youth. A boy only a few years older than I was, but just much an outcast I was. We only knew each other for two weeks, but it was the best two weeks of my life before I left England."

"Must have been a special kid if he could make this."

"_Hai. _He actually made a full bat, but I broke it in half and gave him the other piece when he left."

"Left?" Rin nodded. "He… he couldn't stay. As much as I wanted him to, he couldn't."

"Know where he is?" Rin shrugged. "Probably dead."

"What?"

"Considering what had happened to him already… well, no one truly understood how special he was. It would serve people right if he died without leaving his mark on the world. But if he is alive, I hope he found someone who treats him kindly every day of his life."

"Yeah, no one deserves to be kicked around." Rin twitched an ear at him and Centipede took the hint. "Look, I know ya didn't do anything and-"

"Do you now?" The half-demon's voice was soft, but steely.

"Well, yeah, of course. Besides, if you were gonna go all demon on someone, yer not the type ta hide it."

"And how many people in the city share that opinion?"

"All of us, for one. Chief Beatcom knows yer not doin' anything."

"Anyone else?" Centipede shrugged, not trusting himself to answer. "That's what I thought." Rin turned away from him and stared out the window.

"Look, girlie, you can get people off yer back no problem. Just tell Chief Beatcom where you were trainin' during the accidents and ya got an alibi. Someone had ta see ya if you were in the park."

Without turning around, Rin asked,"Tell me, is anyone else being asked to give an alibi?"

"Er, well, I don't think our friend Beatcom has anymore suspects, so-"

"In other words, no."

"Not that I know."

"So I, the only half-demon in New York City, am the only person being asked to account for my actions?" Rin's voice had taken on a deadly hiss.

"Listen, I-"

"No, you listen!" Rin whirled about and faced Centipede, her eyes afire with rage. "You think I'm a stranger to this? When I was growing up, I was always the first one asked to explain myself when something went wrong! No matter the issue, I was always the first suspect in any problem! Well, no more! You say you believe I'm innocent, so unless you or Chief Oaf have a reason to suspect me, what I do on my own time remains my private business!"

"Hey, all we're askin' for is yer help."

"Oh, aren't I the lucky one? Well, you can tell the entire New York Police Department that they can ask other people for help first before they come crawling to me!"

"It's not that-"

"Oh yes it is! No matter what you or anyone else think, people are only asked to account for their actions when they're suspected of being guilty! So forget it!"

Centipede said nothing as his adopted daughter turned away from him yet again. How often had she been forced to do that, he wondered. How many times in her life had Rin hoped to be treated fairly, had tried to prove that she was (partly) human? The idea of her having to turn away again and again from happiness was heartbreaking.

Though not very good at sentiment, the many-armed bug approached the half-demon and tentatively laid one of his hands on her shoulder. Rin didn't move, but nor did she shrug away the touch.

"Rin, I… I'm sorry." It was all he could say.

"No, it isn't your fault. I thank you though, Centipede, for being honest with me. That means a lot to me."

"Anytime, kid. Anytime."  
>******************************************************************************************************<p>

"But Rin was here the whole time!" Ricky clenched his small hands in frustration. "We saw her!"

"I know, but people already think she caused all the accidents." James looked down at the mossy ground he and his friends had built their fort around. "We have to do something to show people that Rin didn't do anything."

"But what can we do?" The little girl Tessa adjusted her glasses as she spoke.

"We gotta find evidence," Jerry stated.

"Evidence?" Ricky asked.

"Yeah. Like fingerprints of the guy who really did it."

"But how do we do that?" James asked.

"I dunno. But we gotta do it if we're gonna prove someone else did all that stuff and not Rin."

"Or we can prove that Rin was somewhere else." Everyone looked up at James. The small boy drummed his fingers on the ground, as he'd often seen Mr. Grasshopper do when reviewing his music sheets. "Maybe we should follow Rin and see where she goes."

"But won't she know if we're following her?"

"Not if she doesn't think we're following her. There are playgrounds all over the park. Tomorrow, we'll see what direction she goes in and then we can go to the nearest one. Rin will come to us. Remember our Nature Walk right before school ended?"

The friends fell silent, nodding. Rin had arrived in the city shortly before school had been let out for the summer and had encountered the class on a final field trip in Central Park. Much to the surprise of everyone, including the teacher, the young half-demon had trailed the class from the trees, swooping in if a child so much as shouted in surprise. Protective didn't even begin to describe Rin when her brother and his friends were close by.

"But what if an accident doesn't happen tomorrow?"

"That'd be good, since no one would get hurt," James replied. "But we'll keep following her until another accident occurs or the real bad person is caught. Okay, everyone?"

The small children nodded in agreement, ready to help their good friend and his strange, but generally nice sister.

**Author's Note: Yes, I know people involved in a crime are asked to give alibis, whether police think they are guilty or not. But I guessed that if Rin was constantly being asked to account for herself throughout her childhood, she'd be a little sick of it by now, wouldn't you agree?**


End file.
